The Thumb of Michigan is shaped like the thumb of a mitten and includes the four counties of Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac and Tuscola. St. Clair County is often considered part of the Thumb by many sources as well. Towns famous for their unique names in the Thumb include Bad Axe, Marine City, and Pigeon.

While each county has its unique history, some historic installations bind the Thumb together, such as sand dunes and eight-sided apple barns. One other includes the 1000-year-old artwork of Native Americans: Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park. Petroglyphs in Bad Axe depict the Water Panther hunted and communed with by Native Americans, a cat which some historians feel is a mythical beast and others feel is real (similar to the fact that the Florida Panther turned out to be non-extinct and real, while some had thought it mythical). Many figures also look like the Tricerotops dinosaur, but some examiners feel that the water panther could even be a Stegasaurus becasue of back frills or plates, but that is unclear. Super Big Cats, larger than 21st century cougars roamed North America in those times, and likely moved too fast to see clearly in the vegetation.

The Thumb In Popular Literature

The geography and local businesses of Detroit and the Thumb were used as a basis for settings within the popular long-running mystery novel series, "The Cat Who..." by Lilian Jackson Braun. Ms. Braun was an editor for the Detroit Free Press for many years and had experiences in the Thumb as well. She combined several newspaper people she knew well into a singular character named James Mackintosh Qwilleran. a recovering alcoholic, crack news reporter, and playwright. He has been on skid row as well as in the palace of life and gained two cat friends - Ko Ko and Yum Yum, named for characters from The Mikado as well aa famous Chinese artist. See a more complete article about them at The Cat Kao K'o Kung.

Non -Michigan readers have delighted and wondered at the Octagon Apple Barn that the newsman converted into a home in The later Cat Who mysteries. In reality, the octagon barn is a staple of the Thumb argricultural landscape, as depicted in the accompanying photos. They make an interesting tourist attraction, along with many lighthouses, mine shaft houses, and tall sand dunes, to increase the health of the Hospitality and Tourism Industries in the Thumb.

Workers may qualify in Michigan for the No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) program if they are unemployed, have received a notice of termination or layoff, OR if their family income is under $40,000/year. Up to 2 years of paid education is avaiable to eligible individuals via community colleges, universities, and local training programs. Call 1-800-285-works(9675).

The NWLB program helps workers gain employment in jobs that need workers, including the fast growing and hgh demand Jobs in the Thumb expected through at least 2016. The following list includes occupations that have been adding at least 100 - 600+ jobs across 6-8 years thus far in 2008. This was not taken simly from a list, but compiled from multiple stats databases, private sector job listings, and phone calls, because some occupations list a high percentage of increase while showing as little as 5 new jobs over a decade. It is vitally important to train people for jobs that exist. To train workers for jobs that do not or may not in future exist raises an unemployment rate.

The Top 10 High Demand, Fast Growing Jobs

1. Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technicians
2. Personal Care and Service Jobs Overall
3. Hairdressers/Hairstylists/Cosmetologists
4. Healthcare Technologies
5. Registered Nurses [RNs]
6. Heating/Air Cond/Refrigeration Professionals
7. Healthcare Support Occupations
8. Bildings/Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Techs
9. Food Prep Staff and Wait Staff
10. Retail and Wholesale Sales Persons, including Route Sales

Education, training, and help in job placement are also available through NWLB for the following occuations that show evidence of actual growth, albeit at a bit slower rate than the Top 10.

Additional programs are available as well, with lesser chances of job placement, but still the possibility. call for details.

SERVICES

• Claims Adjusters and related positions - This says something about the insurance industry overall, perhaps that more insurance is sold or more people are filing claims, or both.
• Healthcare: Dental hygienists, Physical Therapists, Physician Assistants
• Management Positions, various fields
• Management Analysts
• Operating Engineers and related positions
• Personal Financial Advisors - This is a good sign, indicating that people have and will have some money to invest.
• Public Relations
• Purchasing Agents
• Computer Software Engineers, Apps & Systems; Computer Systems Analysts; Network and Computer Systems Administrators; Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts -- All of these well-paying jobs are growing, but with not many jobs added yearly through 2016. However, as Healthcare businesses and some others continue to open/expand, more such IT jobs will be opened.

TRADES

• Carpenters
• Cost Estmators
• Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
• Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians, FAA Certified
• Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

Port Huron is located in the Thumb and very close to Sarnia (actually Port Edward) Ontaria, Canada.

Two bridges (The Blue Water Bridges) connect the two cities across the St. Clair River), along with two railroad tunnels. The two Blue Water Bridges cross the river via US I-69 and I-94, meeting Highway 402 in Canada on the other side.

Ferries are also available to Canada from Marine City and Algonac in Michigan: Walpole-Algonac Ferry Line Ltd. it tsakes 6 minutes to cross, all year long (barring any ice) and if you walk or bike on, it's only $1.00. Two additional ferry lines operate in the area. Algona sits on a fresh water delta in the Blue Water Area of Michigan and is located just about 50 miles northeast of Detroit. Sites to see in nearby Ontario Province include First Nations Festivals, including local nations, bands, and communities in Southwest Ontario Province,

Hundreds of breathtaking photos of the bridges and surrounding waterways and people were submitted for the Friends of the St, Clair river "Celebrating St. Clair, 2006" contest and are located at : Celebrate 2006 PHOTO GALLERY.

Huron - Port Huron - Service/Mfg

Tower Automotive - Sheet metal; Port Huron Hospital; Mercy Hospital; St. Clair County Community College; Scheurer Mdical Center

Lapeer - Lapeer City - Service

Lapeer County Medical Care; County of Lapeer; North Branch Area Schools; Michigan Sept. of Mental Health; MI Dept. of Correction

Sanilac- Manufacturing

Lear Corp - Auto trim; Huron Inc - Screw machine & welding; Trelleborg Y S H Inc - Rubber; Dott Manufacturing - Plastics; Dean Pickle & Specialty Prdts - FOOD - Pickles, peppers, relish

Tuscola - Manufacturing

Walbro Corp - Carburetors, injectors, etc.; Grede-Vassar Inc - Gray iron, castings, etc.; Walbro Automotive Corp - Electric fuel pumps; Kaumagraph Flint Corp - Automotive screen printing

St. Clair- Manufacturing

Britax Vision Systems - Automobile mirrors; Huron Plastics Group Inc - Cust inj mold thermoplastics; Mueller Brass - Copper & brass tubing; Bundy Corp - Fuel lines; Chrysler Corp - Sheet metal coating